CH A NG E PACK AG E

Improving TB screening at Nine TB Diagnostic Treatment Units: Tested Changes and guidance from Uganda

JULY 2018

This change package for improving TB screening in Uganda was prepared by University Research Co., LLC (URC) for review by

the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and authored by Sylvia Nakibuuka, Herbert Kisamba, and

Esther Karamagi of URC. It was developed as part of the Tuberculosis work in Uganda carried out under the USAID Applying

Science to Strengthen and Improve Systems (ASSIST) Project, which is made possible by the generous support of the

American people through USAID.

THE REPUBLIC OF UGANDA

MINISTRY OF HEALTH

Cover photo: A provider screens a patient for TB. Photo by: Sylvia Nakibuuka, URC.

Improving TB screening at 9 TB Diagnostic

Treatment Units (DTU): Tested Changes and

guidance from Uganda

JULY 2018

Sylvia Nakibuuka, University Research Co., LLC

Herbert Kisamba, University Research Co., LLC

Esther Karamagi, University Research Co., LLC

DISCLAIMER

The contents of this report are the sole responsibility of University Research Co., LLC (URC) and do

not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the

United States Government.

Acknowledgements

ASSIST acknowledges local implementing partners for actively participating in the joint coaching,

learning sessions and facilitating the health facility teams. These partners include: Strengthening TB

and HIV responses in the Eastern region (STAR E), Strengthening TB and HIV responses in the East

Central region (STAR EC), Regional Health Integration to enhance Services South West region

(RHITES SW), and TRACK Tuberculosis (TRACK-TB). We thank them.

The authors pass on their gratitude to Knowledge Management team of ASSIST their support in

presenting the changes in this package in a format that enables further learning. We also

acknowledge the Health workers from the 9 DTUs whose results are shared in this document.

This report was prepared by University Research Co., LLC (URC) under the USAID Applying Science

to Strengthen and Improve Systems (ASSIST) Project, which is funded by the American people

through USAID’s Bureau for Global Health, Office of Health Systems. The project is managed by

URC under the terms of Cooperative Agreement Number AID-OAA-A-12-00101. URC's global

partners for USAID ASSIST include: EnCompass LLC; FHI 360; Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public

Health; HEALTHQUAL International; Initiatives Inc.; Institute for Healthcare Improvement; Johns

Hopkins Center for Communication Programs; and WI-HER, LLC.

For more information on the work of the USAID ASSIST Project, please visit www.usaidassist.org or

write assist-info@urc-chs.com.

Recommended citation

Nakibuuka S, Kisamba H, Karamagi E. 2018. Improving TB screening at 9 TB Diagnostic Treatment

Units (DTU): Tested Changes and guidance from Uganda. Published by the USAID ASSIST Project.

Chevy Chase, MD: University Research Co., LLC (URC).

Improving TB screening at 9 TB Diagnostic Treatment Units i

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 1

II. Intervention ............................................................................................................................................ 1

III. Results ................................................................................................................................................... 1

IV. Harvest Meeting ..................................................................................................................................... 3

V. The change package ............................................................................................................................. 3

A. Intended use ......................................................................................................................................... 3

VI. Recommendations ................................................................................................................................. 4

VII. Annex ..................................................................................................................................................... 6

Appendix 1. Rank-ordered changes to improve TB screening for OPD clients ............................................ 6

Appendix 2: List of facilitators during the harvest meeting ........................................................................... 7

Appendix 3: Participating sites and their quality improvement teams .......................................................... 7

ii Improving TB screening at 9 TB Diagnostic Treatment Units

Acronyms

ARI Annual Risk of TB Infection

ART Antiretroviral therapy

ARVs Antiretroviral Drugs

ASSIST Applying Science to Strengthen and Improve Systems project

CME Continuous Medical Education

DTLS District TB Leprosy Supervisor

DTU Diagnostic Treatment Unit

HIV Human Immunodeficiency Virus

IP Implementing partner

KCCA Kampala Capital City Authority

MDR-TB Multi-drug resistant TB

MOH Ministry of Health

OPD Out Patient Department

QI Quality Improvement.

RHITES Regional Health Integration to enhance Services.

SCHW Sub County Health Worker

STAR E Strengthening TB and HIV responses in the Eastern region

STAR EC Strengthening TB and HIV responses in the East Central region

TB Tuberculosis

USAID United States Agency for International Development

Improving TB screening at 9 TB Diagnostic Treatment Units 1

I. Introduction

Uganda continues to notify thousands of tuberculosis (TB) cases (46,171 TB cases in the year 2014)

but these are only half of the estimated TB cases (87,000) (The Uganda National Population Based

Tuberculosis Prevalence Survey 2014-2016). These figures exemplify the progress made but also

highlight the task ahead for Uganda as a country if it is to achieve the new ambitious global target of

ending tuberculosis by the year 2035.

The Annual Risk of TB Infection (ARI) for Uganda remains high, at 3%. The National TB Prevalence

Survey conducted in 2015 puts the incidence of TB at 234/100,000 population for all TB cases and

prevalence of TB is 253/100,000 population. Based on the 2015 Global TB Report, the mortality rate

from TB (excluding HIV positive TB) in 2014 was estimated at 12/100,000 population. Multidrug

resistant TB (MDR-TB) is an emerging problem with more than 1,040 estimated every year and the

actual case finding is around 200 cases per year. (Tuberculosis and Leprosy Manual 3rd Edition

2016). Amidst the high TB burden, the quality of TB services is not at its best with a number of TB

Diagnostic Treatment Units (DTUs) leaving care of TB patients in the hands of low cadre health

workers.

Active TB case finding through improved TB screening at health care facilities increases the number

of persons diagnosed with TB and prevents transmission of TB infection (Ending Tuberculosis by

2030 INT J TUBERC LUNG DIS 20@:1148-1158 2016 The Union).

USAID, through its Applying Science to Strengthen and Improve Systems (ASSIST) project in

Uganda, has since October 2015 worked in collaboration with the ministry of health (MOH) and

implementing partners (IPs) to build the capacity of health workers to screen, diagnose, and manage

TB so as to improve TB care services using the continuous quality improvement (QI) model as well as

the collaborative approach.

ASSIST, together with the MOH and regional IPs provided support to selected health facilities in

Eastern, East Central, Central Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), and South Western regions

through conducting eight monthly onsite coaching visits, two learning sessions, and one harvest

meeting to ensure TB care services improved at all the TB supported facilities for a period of eight

months. The experience gained while doing this work is the basis for this change package.

II. Intervention

Following a baseline assessment conducted in October 2015 at the participating health facilities it was

found that TB screening for clients aged 0-14 years attending the out-patient department (OPD) was

at 8.1% and clients aged 15 years and above was at 11.5% at all the sites. ASSIST engaged the

facility-based health workers to review the performance and identify reasons for the observed poor

performance. Regular support through on-site coaching was provided to the facility teams to review

performance and teams came up with service innovations (changes) which they tested to attain

improved TB screening for all clients attending OPD.

During the intervention it was vital for health facility teams to document the process of their

improvement journey, which they did through use of a specific tool called the QI Documentation

Journal. At the start of the intervention health facilities did not have a tool for capturing TB

assessment so the health workers improved by creating a column in the OPD register to cater for that.

However, shortly after the new MOH register that had specific space for documenting TB assessment

findings become available and facilities were all supported to utilize it.

III. Results

TB screening for clients aged 0-14 years attending the OPD was at 8.1% and clients aged 15 years

and above was at 11.5% at all the sites in October 2015. USAID ASSIST engaged the facility-based

health workers to review the performance and identify reasons for the observed poor performance.

Facility teams implemented various changes explained in Table 1 which led to 90% TB screening

2 Improving TB screening at 9 TB Diagnostic Treatment Units

among OPD clients 0-14 years by August 2016 (Figure 1) and 88% for OPD clients above 14 years

(Figure 2).

Figure 1: Percentage of children 0-14 years seen at OPD who were screened for TB at 15 health

facilities (May 2015-Aug 2016)

Figure 2: Percentage of patients 15 years and above seen at OPD who were screened for TB at 15 Health facilities (May 2015-Aug 2016)

Improving TB screening at 9 TB Diagnostic Treatment Units 3

IV. Harvest Meeting

ASSIST held a harvest meeting with the 15 participating health facilities to compile effective changes

that the facilities tested for improving TB screening at the OPD. The facility teams compiled the

changes that they implemented in their facilities. The change ideas were analyzed and made into

change concepts. Using a specific template, the participants described step by step how the changes

were implemented at each facility (Appendix 1). This led to a detailed how to guide of the change

package (Table 1).

The change ideas were further analyzed by the participants to identify those that are related and were

collapsed into change concepts.

V. The change package

A. Intended use

The change package was developed for frontline health workers, IPs, and others engaged in TB care,

especially those working at OPD with the intension of improving TB screening at OPD.

The document has all the changes that were implemented at 9 DTUs. Those intending to use it can

focus on changes that apply to their setting. This change package is intended to provide guidance

among individuals and quality improvement teams wishing to improve TB screening among clients

attending OPD. Teams are urged to adapt these changes to suit their clinic settings for improvement

to occur.

Table 1: Detailed change package for improving TB screening for patients attending OPD at 9

facilities in Uganda

Change Idea Reason for the change How the change happened?

Change concept 1: Building Health workers capacity to screen for TB

Sensitize health workers on TB screening

Some health workers were not updated with TB screening requirements at OPD

• Schedule date for continuing medical education (CME) and communicate to the staff.

• Identify staff with knowledge on how to screen TB using the ICF guide

• Conduct CME with support of the District TB Laboratory Supervisor (DTLS).

• Distribute ICF guides to all care entry points.

• Display ICF guides in all clinicians’ rooms

Displaying of ICF job guides

Health workers needed a quick reference for symptom TB screening

• List out all the necessary TB screening Job aids available for use

• Order missing job aides from the DTLS or IP

• Retrieve available job aides from store.

• Display ICF job aids on table or wall within all clinicians’ rooms

Change concept 2: Assigning specific TB screening roles

Assign a specific staff to oversee TB screening at OPD

No staff was responsible to ensure patients were being screened

• Identify a particular staff at OPD

• Orient him/her about TB screening using ICF guide

• Explained to her/him the roles involved. Some of the roles included; ensuring ICF job aids are available at OPD, review patient records to see if TB status is recorded, reminding other staff about TB

4 Improving TB screening at 9 TB Diagnostic Treatment Units

assessment

Change concept 3: Documenting TB screening data

Writing TB assessment codes alongside patient diagnosis.

TB screening done by clinician but not evidence of assessment.

• Hold meeting to agree on codes to use.

• Identify staff who missed the meeting and orient them on agreed codes

• Team agree to record codes alongside patient diagnosis so that the person recording in the OPD register does not miss it

Continuous verbal reminders to records staff to record patients TB status in OPD register.

Records staff or anyone in OPD forget to record TB status in the OPD register

• Identify member of staff to review register for completeness

• Daily review of OPD register to identify particular staff missing out recording of the TB status

• Focal person or any assigned persons remind record staff to record TB status for every patient and where they lack what to record get to the clinicians to assess the patients

Daily review the OPD register for completeness

TB columns in the OPD registers are blank for Some patients

• Agree of a particular staff to review OPD register daily to check if patients have their TB columns filled out

• Assign staff checks registers daily

• Give feedback on staff who miss some parameters in the register to in-charge by staff assigned to review

• In-charge follow-up staff to establish why and take corrective action

Weekly review of OPD register to check if TB status was recorded.

Some patients have TB columns blank in the OPD register

• Identify a particular staff and assign them to review the OPD registers for completeness of TB column

• Assigned staff choose a convenient day in the week to review OPD register

• Staff review OPD register routinely

• Give feedback to staff who miss filling in the OPD register by OPD in-charge

Change concept 4: Use of Reminders

Pin/ stick reminder notice to ensure OPD clients are screened for TB and TB status recorded in clients’ books and OPD register.

Staff were not screening all OPD clients for TB. And a few who were screened, the TB status was not recorded in the patient book and OPD register

• Print out reminder notes on Manilla paper

• Pin reminder clinical rooms

• Write TB status alongside diagnosis in patients’ books.

VI. Recommendations

These changes are recommended because the 9 health facilities that tested and implemented these

changes reported significant improvement in TB screening for clients attending OPD. Persons

involved in TB work need to focus on:

• Capacity enhancement for health workers: District TB and leprosy supervisors should

regularly enrich health workers with new TB information and new TB job aides during their

Improving TB screening at 9 TB Diagnostic Treatment Units 5

support supervision. The TB job aides should be displayed in areas where they are easily

accessed by all health workers.

• Improving documentation and routine data reviews: The TB team members should

document the findings of the TB assessment process for proper action taking by whoever

sees the patient there after. Use of specific tools that support this like the current version of

OPD register is encouraged. A specific day to review TB data tools for completeness should

be set for the teams to analyze their performance.

• Communicating between providers: All service providers at the facility should be well

versed with TB screening codes, verbally remind health workers who miss recording TB

status in clients’ treatment book.

• Assigning roles: Specific staff should be assigned roles of overseeing TB screening at all

care entry points.

6 Improving TB screening at 9 TB Diagnostic Treatment Units

VII. Annex

Appendix 1. Rank-ordered changes to improve TB screening for OPD clients

Improvement indicator: Percentage of OPD clients screened for TB

Tested change No. of sites

Evidence from Pilot tests

Relative importance

Simplicity/ scalability Affordability

Total rating

Triage staff to review patients TB status and remind health workers 1 5 5 5 5 20.0

Assigning codes to help identify presumptive cases at OPD 1 5 5 5 5 20.0

Continuous reminding of clinicians to screen and dispensers to record patients TB status in OPD register 1 5 5 5 5 20.0

Retrieving and displaying ICF s on all patients care points 1 5 5 5 5 20.0

One on one mentoring to clinicians on TB screening 1 4 5 5 5 19.0

Record TB status along patients’ diagnosis and orient records personal on agreed code 1 5 5 5 4 19.0

Assigned a specific staff to review the OPD register on a weekly basis 3 4 5 4 5 18.0

Assigning a triage staff/nurse to oversee TB screening 2 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5 18.0

Introduced codes for TB status along patients’ diagnosis 1 3 5 5 5 18.0

Orientation of staff to use TB codes which were recorded along patients’ diagnosis 1 5 5 3 5 18.0

Assigned a focal person to supervise TB assessment and documentation 1 5 5 4 3 17.0

Assigned staff to supervise filling of the OPD register 2 4 4 5 4 17.0

Staff assigned to screen TB in OPD 1 4.5 4 4 4 16.5

Created a column in OPD register to document clients TB status 2 3 3 5 5 16.0

CME conducted to staff on TB screening 3 4 3.25 4.25 4.25 15.8

Conducted a screening of all patients by clinicians 1 3 2 3 9.0

Improving TB screening at 9 TB Diagnostic Treatment Units 7

Appendix 2: List of facilitators during the harvest meeting

Name Title Organization/ District

Dr.Kisamba Herbert Senior Quality Improvement Advisor USAID-ASSIST

Nakibuuka Sylvia Quality Improvement Officer USAID-ASSIST

Birungi Rosette Florence Quality Improvement Officer USAID-ASSIST

Kigonya Angella Knowledge management Officer USAID-ASSIST

Amayo stephen Regional Coach Wakiso district

Masette Elsie Regional Coach Bulabuli district

Tumushabe Belinda Regional Coach Wakiso district

Banturaki Expedito Regional Coach Rubirizi district

Appendix 3: Participating sites and their quality improvement teams

Facility QI team members

Busiu HC IV Dr. Maumbe Benard, Mwiyikinma Emma, Nabulo Janet, Kakai Sylvia, Orena Stephen, Chelogoi Rashid, Wanyana Geofrey, Nambuya Betty.

Nakaloke HC III Wanyenze Bridget, Abwin Christine, Namatome Falida, Wafenya Sam, Arikod Mary, Wakalanga Muhamad, Otunyi Levi, Nandere Margaret, Nagudi Doreen.

Busia HC IV Oduya Betty, Lule Yusuf, Katuutu Christine, Edaku Joseph, Nekesa Getrude

Kityerera HC IV Wabaire Lydia, Gidudu Mariam, Maganda Johson, Bazibu Bosco, Mbera, Sarah, Namuyaga Diana, Magumba Asuman, Kirumira Mutwalibi, Basalirwa Robert, Nabirye Topie.

Nankoma HC IV Magoola Saadi, Bamwose Moses, Musitwa Cloves, Tumwebaze Simon, Kyota Robert

Mutumba HC III Opio Humphrey, Namumbya Faith, Namusoke Mangadalena, Munyori Valeria, Baraka Robert, Othieno Williams, Naigaga Besi

Kanungu HC IV Bagwiza Vincent, Martin Mpimbaza, Katto, Moses Besisira, Kamugisha Augustine, Tuwakire Emily, Tumuramye Justus, Kembabazi Winnie, Musimenta Barbra.

Kyadondo medical centre

Ssekyanzi Maurice, Nalubega Resty, Nakirijja Cissy M.

Nsambya Police clinic

Balaba Luke, Anderu Christine, Nabbona Jane, Sekayise Ronald, Nekesa Harriet

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